Machine for splitting pickles



July '7, 1925. 1,544,889

A J. G. COGLE v MACHINE FOR SPLITTINGAPICKLES Filed July 12, 1924v 4 sheiS-sneet 1 AIIII wlllllH k' i J mmm l v gwvenloz July 7,1925. y l 1,544,889

J. G. COGLE MACHINE FOR SPLITTING PICKLES Filed July :1 2I 1924 4 SheetS-Sheef 2 abbot wg July 7, A1925. 1,544,889

J. G. COQLE MACHINE FOR SPLITTING PICKLES Filed July 12, 1924- 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 7, 1925. A 1,544,889

J. G. COGLE 'MACHINE FOR sPLiTTING PICKLES Filed July 1.2, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet '4 Patented July 7, 1925.. l

UNITED STATES 1,544,889 PATENT oFFlcE.

.Turns e.

COGLE, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO' MRS. E. G. KIDI), INC., OF

'RIOHMOND, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

MACH-INE FOR SPLITTING IPICKLES.

Application led July 12, 1924. Serial No. 725,680.

To all .whom 'it mag/concern Be it known that I, JAMES G. COGLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the lcity of Richmond and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Splittin Pickles, ofwhich the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates vto machines forv lsplitting pickles.

An object of the invention is the provision of means for splitting pickles lengthwise in preparing them for the market.

A further object of the invention is vto provide a machine for splitting pickles in which the cutting element is automatically adjusted for pickles of different sizes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine in which the ,feeding mechanism is automatically pickles of different sizes.

More specifically, the invention comprises a pair of conveyors superposed upon each other and traveling in opposite directions whereby the upper i`ight of the lower conveyor and the lower flight of the upper conveyor will be traveling in the same direction. The conveyors are spaced from each othenadistance such that the pickles will be retained between the two adjacent flights when passing the knife or cutting element and the upper conveyor is pivotally mounted to adjust itself to pickles vof different thickgnesses.

In the accom anying drawings, I have shown one ambo iment ofthe invention. Inf

. this showing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation,

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view,

Figure 3 is a plan view,

Figure 4 is a side elevation taken from v the side oppositez to Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an end elevation,

Figure 6 is an enlarged side elevation similar to Figure 1, showing the supporting mechanism of the upper conveyor and the cuttin element,

Fi re is a vertical sectional v iew on `line -7 of Figure'6,`

Figure 8 is a similar view on line? 8-8 of Figure 6, l

Figure 9 yis a detail View of a portion of the upper conveyor supporting mechanism and the cutting element, and,

adjusted for veyor and the upper pivoted to the main Forwardly of the shaft 24, the

Figure 10 is a detail sectional View through the lower conveyor and a brush arranged near the inlet substantially on line 10-10 of Figure 3. ,s

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates suitable legs upon, which the parts of the apparatus are mounted. A top or table 2 extends partially across the top of the legs and the conveying A 'mechanism is arranged at one side, as shown in Figures 1 and 5. The conveyors are arranged between a pair of longitudinal supports 3, which are secured to the top of. t e table and are stationary. At the rear of the machine, a' shaft 4 is journaled in these sup-` ports and this shaft carries a roller 5, extending substantially the entire distance between the supports. A similar roller 6 is arranged at the front end ofthe machine and each end of this roller is provided with stub shafts 7, received in suitable .bearings 8, carried by the supports. An endless belt 9 passesover the rollers 5 and 6. The shaft 4 is provided with a drive pulley 9 adapted t0 receive a belt 10 passing over a pulley y B0 11 on a shaft 12. The shaft 12 ismounted in bearings 13 carried by supporting memveyor will trave inthe same direction. As

shown,- the upper conveyor is mounted. in a pivoted frame. This frame consists of a pair of side members secured thereto, as Vat 22. These bars are pivoted frame swings about the point 23 as an axis. A shaft 24 is arran ed in the upper frame adj acent its rear en and this shaft carries a roller 25 extending substantially the entire distance between the side members 20.

A side members are provided with vertical slots 26,

adapted to receive stub-shafts 27, formed on the ends of a roller 28. An endless belt 29 20 and bars 21" are rigidly frame at 23, so that the passes over the rollers and 28. One of the stub shafts 7 vextends beyond the bar 8 and is provided with a pulley 30, adapted to receive a drive belt 31. a pulley 32 on the shaft 24 to drive the upper conveyor and, as shown, (see Figures 1 and 3), the belt is crossed to drive the upper conveyor in the op osite direction from the lower conveyor. Airush 33 is mounted over the lower conveyor adjacent the inlet end of the machine and this brush is provided with bristles 34, which are spaced from the conveyor a slight distance see Figure 10) and areadapted to engage t e pickles 35 as they pass under it. f

' The cutting mechanism is shown in detail in Figure 9 of the drawings. As shown, a vloa'r 36 is connected to each of the bars 21 intermediate their ends and the bars 36 extend rearwardly to a point adjacent the rear rolls of the two conveyors. As the bars 21 are pivotally mounted, the distance from the point 37 where the bars 36 are connected to the rear rolls will va as the upper frame swings on its pivot an the rear ends of the bars 36 are thus provided with longitudinally extending slots 38. The cutting elcment is arranged in substantially the same vertical plane as the rear rollers 5 and 25 and consists of a bar 39' extending transversely of the machine and having a knife edge 40. The ends of the cutting element are circular in cross section and are threaded as shown at 41, and these ends are adapted to be received in the slots 38. Thumbnuts 42 are arranged on the threaded ends to retain the cutting element in position. Suitable means are provided to retain the cutting element an equal distance from the rollers 5 and 25. Links 43 and 44 are arranged on the shafts 4 and 24, respectively, the links being provided with suitable lopenings 45 through which these shafts pass. The opposite ends of the links are received o n the threaded portions 41, formed -on the ends of the cutting elements.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The pickles to be slit are placed on.Y the upper side of the conveyor 9 at the inlet end of the machine, in front of the brush 33. This brush serves to distribute the pickles evenly over the conveyor and prevent more than a single layer of pickles to pass beween the conveyor belts at the delivery end of the machine. As the ickles pass between the two conveyors, the side frames 20'of the y upper conveyor will be moved upwardly to an extent depending upon the size of the largest pickle passing through at any given time.f `Wlien the thickness vof a pickle is greater than the distance between the adjacent flights of the two conveyors, the upper conveyor is moved around the point 23 as an axis to increase the dist-ance and permit the largest pickle to'pass through the ma- This belt passes over Y chine. The movement of the upper conveyor also adjusts the cutting element to^com en sate for the difference in the thickness o the pickles and retain the cutting element at a` point equidistant from the rollers 5 and 25. The movement of the pivoted support bars 21 exercises a pull on the-longitudinal bars 36 causing the links 43 land 44 to move forwardly and tend to assume a vertical position. This moves the cutting element 40 upwardly substantially half the distance that the upper roller 25 moves. The pickles passing between the conveyor belts are forced to passt-he. slitting'l knife 40 by the weight of the upper frame-work resting on them. If two pickles of different size strike the slitting knife at the same time, the largest pickle is carried through. As the smaller is not ositively driven beyond the slitting knife, it will remain stationary until the ickle upper conveyor or-belt engages it after the j' larger pickle has passed the knife. The weight of the upper conveyor resting on the pickle in' front of the knife willthen carry it past the knife and the pickle will be split.

The automatic adjustment of the upper conveyor and the cuttin element permits the use of the machines with pickles as they are usually obtained of varying sizes and thickness and permits the splitting operation to be performed by machine lwith success, whereas heretofore the operation has been manually performed and a larger amount of time consumed. v

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the s irit of the invention or the scope of the subj'oined claims.

I claim: n

1. A pickle splitting machine com rising a conveyor, a splitting knife arrange above said conveyor and extending transversely thereof, a pivoted member arranged above said conveyor and adapted to en age the pickle to force it by said knife, an connections between said pivoted member and said knife to adjust the position of said knife when said conveyor swings on its pivot..

2. A pickle splitting machine comprising a conveyor, a splitting knife arranged above said conveyor and extending transversely thereof, a frame pivoted on said conveyor and arranged above said conveyor, a member carried by said frame and adapted to engage the pickle to force it by said knife, rods connected to said frame to support said knife, and links connected to said conveyor and said member and to said rods.

3. A pickle splitting machine comprising a conveyor, a splitting knife arranged above thereof, a second conveyor pivotally mounted over said first conveyor adjacent said splitting knife and'ada ted to engage the upper surface of a pic e on said conveyor to deliver it to said knife, and connections between said upper conve or and said knife to adjust the position said knife when said second conveyor swings on its pivot.

4. A pickle splitting machine comprising a conveyor, `a splitting knife arranged above said conveyor and extending transversely thereof, an upper conveyor frame pivoted on said conveyor, a conveyor mounted in said upper frame and arranged above said first conveyor to engage pickles thereon and deliver them to said knife, rods connected to said upper conveyor frame and supporting said knife, and links connected to said upper and lower conveyors andto said rods.

5. A device constructed in accordance with claim 4 wherein means are provided for distributing pickles on said lower conveyor.

6. A device constructed in accordance with JAMES G. COGLE.

Witnesses:

R. A. CARTER,

H. A. MCCURDY. 

